Still.



No. 761,315. PATENTED MAY 31, 1904..

. F. B. MERRILL.

STILL. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 7, 1903.

N0 MODEL. I 3 SHEETS SHBBT 1.

ON LIA/C PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

P; B. MERRILL.

STILL. urmornourunn APR. 1, 190a.

N0 MODEL.

3 wuamoz I m: NDRRAS PETERS co. PHOTCLLITNKL, WASHXNGTON, a. c.

' its. 761,315.

, UNIT D- STArEs Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT", Or n-ct.-

FRANCES B. MERRILL, 0F VJONESPOINT, NEW YoRIc-"AssmiioR' TO SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,315,. dated May 31, 1904. i

' :Application filed April7, 190a I signed withspecial reference to the treatment of hydrocarbons, and more particularly for the preparation of coal-tar pitch to be used in the manufacture ofbriquets,

The ends in view are to equaliae as far as possible the temperature of all portions of the heated surface,thatall parts of the heated mass may be at the same point of distillation; to prevent the coking of the residue locally in consequence of uneven "heating, that the product may not be granularand toavoid the choking'of the discharge-pipes andthe'necessity of cleaning the'still by scraping after" eaclrfdistillation; to break up "th vi id mags witliiir the'still, that the throwing oif- "of the volatile matters shall be facilitated; to givethe contained mass'an agitation of such character that it will break up pockets or imprisoned bodies of gasand vapor which have an explosive tendency when highly heated, and. this without giving the mass a rotary motion or carrying the distilled vapors back into the mass; to secure a maximum heating-surface in proportion to the capacity of the still; to secure an increased velocity of the outgoing vapors by restricting .the capacity of the still above the evaporating-surface, and, finally, to avoid the clogging of the agitating devices by cold or hardened residue. To this end I construct'a horizontal elongated still having in vertical section an extended under surface curved in the arc of a circle of long radius and a top portion contracted, as hereinafter more fully described, andin this still I mount a pendent vibratory agitaton Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical cross-section of my still on the line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the still, Fig. 3. is a diagram, on a larger scale, illustrating the sectional form. Fig. 4

Serial No. 151,472. (Nb m bdel'.

isafront elevation of themechanism for imparting motion to the agitator.

Referring to the'drawings, A represents a" mason-work furnace, which'may beof any suitable construction; B, thestill proper, mounted within the furnace, and C the vibratory agitator within'the still.

The still consists of ahoriz'ontallyelongated body of sheet-steel or other suitable material having, preferably, vertical ends. In crosssection the still is given the peculiar form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and thisgeneral form is of the essence of my'invention' The greater. part of the under heating-surface orfire-sun :face is the segment of a circle whoseradius is about. four-fifths of the diameter of the still. This curve is modified as thesides are ap} proached, or, in other words,toward"the lateral limits of the fire-line,'an'increased or sharper upward curvature being given upwardffi'om these points in order that the bearers or supporting -blocks D, which rest in the masonry,

may be attached to substantially uprightsur faces of the still. The flame and heat from the I surface below have access only to the under side of the still. Above the fire-line the still is contracted-in diameter, so thatf its lines fall well within a circumscribing circle." In other words, the still is given a substantially oval form, the base being broadened and flattened and given the greatest possible surface andca pacity, while the upper portion is narrowed and contracted, so that the capacity above the level of thematerial under treatment is materially less than it would be in a still of circular form. This reduction of the spaceoccupiedlbythe released outgoing vapors is of marked importance. The curves may be modified to a limited extent, provided the form and proportions herein shown are approximated. In Fig. 3 the dotted lines indicate the centers from which the various curves are struck.

The agitator C consists of a flat frame E, covered with coarse wire-netting or similar material and firmly attached at its upper edge to the horizontal shaft F, which is seated in a bearing in one end of the still and extended atthe opposite end through a gland or stuffing-box. To the outer end of the shaft is secured a crank-arm G, which receives a vibratory motion through a pitman H from a crankarm I. The shaft of this crank is provided with a worm-Wheel J, receiving motion from a worm K on shaft L, provided with a driving-pulley M, connected with an engine or other prime mover. The parts are so proportioned that the rotation of the drivingcrank I serves to vibrate the agitator C through an arc of eighty degrees, more or less. It will be observed that the shaft F is located in the upper contracted portion of the still, the height of this shaft from the bottom of the still being four-fifths, more or less, of the vertical diameter of the still. The bottom surface of the still throughout the greater portion of its width is described from the axis of the shaft as acenter, so that the lower edge of the agitator sweeps over the bottom of the still parallel therewith. The proportions may be modified; but in a still sixteen feet in length and seven feet in height I prefer to leave a space of about four inches between the bottom of the still and the lower edge of the agitator.

The still will be provided atthe top with an opening or manhole V and with a pipe U for the delivery of the vapors and also at the rear endwitha manhole W and a drainagepipe X.

While the furnace may be modified'at will, I prefer to retain the general construction herein shown for the purpose of securing auniform application of the heat to the bottom of the still.

In the forward part of the furnace there is a fire-chamber N, containing grate-bars 0. At the rear end of the grate near the middle of the length of the still there is a bridge-wall P, the upper edge of which has a curve substantially corresponding to that of the under side of the still, so that the gases and heated products passing rearward are distributed uniformly underthe still from one side to the other. In order to prevent the direct action of the flame and heat under the middle of the still, an arch or crown R is built above the grate and at some distance below'the still, and a series of vertical lateral passages S are extended from the fire-chamber below past the arch into the chamber between it and the still.

A blast-pipe T for the admission of air or superheated steam is extended into the space below the fire-grate, as shown. Doors and chambers of any approved arrangement will be provided to control the combustion.

In operating the still it is filled with tar or other material to be treated to a point near the level of the shaft, and fire being maintained theagitator is kept constantly in motion. Its effect is to agitate and break up the mass of contained material, to release the imprisoned vapors, to cause a uniform treatment of all portions of the mass, and to prevent the material from becoming solidified. As the space in the top of the still above the line of the material under treatment is much smaller than usual in proportion to the body of material treated, it follows that the released vapors have a much greater velocity than usual during the outlet, so that there is no danger of their being condensed or redeposited within the still.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A'horizontal still of uniform section from end to end, its bottom being curved in the are of a circle described from a point near the top of the still, and the top being contracted, substantially as shown,'in combination with the pendent vibratory'agitator, having a horizontal axis near the top of the still.

2. 'Thecombinationof the still proper, having in vertical section a flattened bottom and a contracted top, with the pendent vibratory agitator mounted on a horizontal axis near the top of the still, and the furnace constructed with a fire-chamber, the arch R, therein, and the lateral openings S for distributing the heat beneath the still.

3. The horizontally-clongated still B, having the contracted top and flattened bottom FRANCES B. MERRILL.

Witnesses:

' F. N. BARKSDALE,

G. O. MERRILL. 

